Quebec government

David Birnbaum to cross the floor and join the CAQ? April Fool's

With Quebec Premier François Legault’s  popularity at an all-time high given the way he has handled the COVID-19 crisis, D’Arcy McGee MNA David Birnbaum has decided to cross the floor. He will leave the Quebec Liberal Party and join the Coalition avenir Québec and second Christopher Skeete as one of the Premier’s point-men on anglo relations.

Talks between Birnbaum and CAQ officials intensified as he lobbied for  the installation of a COVID-19 Testing Center at the Quartier Cavendish in Côte Saint-Luc.

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David Birnbaum

 

“I think my constituents will be well served by this decision,” said Birnbaum.

Birnbaum said he is confident that with his presence on the team, the CAQ will withdraw the Bill 21 secular law and Bill 40 abolishing school boards. “François Legault has proven during this crisis that he is the Premier for all Quebecers,” Birnbaum said. “I am proud to now be standing by his side.”

Birnbaum added that when this pandemic crisis comes to an end, he is confident Legault will help push  through the Cavendish Boulevard extension.

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Premier Legault

“Premier  Legault is practically our neighbor,” said Birnbaum. “He lives in Outremont  and understands our community very well.”

In fact Birnbaum will accompany Legault this Saturday for a visit to the Quartier Cavendish Testing Centre. “If only I could have bought him a smoked meat sandwich at the Deli Boyz,” he said.

The liaison between the Birnbaum-CAQ talks was none other than  former Quebec Premier and noted flip-flopper Philippe Couillard, whom we are told will be named the province’s delegate general in New York City when this is all over.

Birnbaum has also asked that the name of his riding,D’Arcy McGee, be changed to Côte Saint HampWest – something he says Legault supports. We contacted one-time MNA and Mayor Robert Libman, who was so upset to hear about Birnbaum’s decision that he intends to bring the Equality Party back for the 2022 election.

And folks, one more thing: it is April 1 and a time when we are stressed out and overwhelmed I hope you can see the humour in this April Fool’s joke. David Birnbaum has been doing an outstanding job for us  and rest assured he will always remain a Liberal.

 


Coalition of elected officials at all levels join to oppose Bill 21/Coalition d’élus de tous les paliers de gouvernement contre le projet de loi 21

 A coalition of mayors, city councillors, school board commissioners, and representatives at the provincial and federal level announced today their intention to oppose Bill 21, An Act respecting the laicity of the State, which was recently tabled by the Quebec government.

The coalition of elected officials announced the Rally for Religious Freedom will take place on Sunday, April 14, 2019, from 11:30am to 1 pm in front of the Bernard Lang Civic Centre at 5801 Cavendish Blvd. in Côte Saint-Luc. The public is invited to attend to show their opposition to Bill 21.

Quotes

“Yes, ensuring the neutrality of the state is vitally important. That ensures the equality of all but this awful bill will do exactly the opposite. It will tell some Quebecers that they are not as equal as others. What a terrible message! This bill is unfair, it is unworthy of the Quebec that I love and is effectively illegal when applied to the Quebec and Canadian Charters of Rights. Together, we will use all means legitimately available to oppose it.”

- David Birnbaum, Member of Parliament for D’Arcy-McGee and Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous Affairs

“We intend to work together across jurisdictions to oppose Bill 21. The proposed law discriminates against a number of those people we represent and seeks to treat those who wear a cross, kippa, hijab or turban as second class citizens.”

- Anthony Housefather, Member of Parliament for Mount Royal

“We intend to speak out and defend a value we hold dear–that of ensuring all Quebecers can excel in the professions of their choice, irrespective of their religious beliefs.”

- Mitchell Brownstein, Mayor of the City of Côte Saint-Luc

“Bill 21 violates both the Quebec and Canadian Charters of Rights and Freedoms as well as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have a moral obligation to fight this law in every way we can. It discriminates against religious people and limits their job opportunities."

- Dr. William Steinberg, Mayor of the Town of Hampstead

“Bill 21 will institutionalize discrimination for certain jobs in the public service making Quebec the only jurisdiction in North America where candidates who might be entirely qualified, indeed the best candidate, will be barred on the basis of their deeply held religious believes. Quebec's civil service already lacks diversity and the message this Bill sends is that minorities are unwelcome. It flies in the face of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and what most Quebecers believe that we are a welcoming society where people can be proud of their descent and heritage while being proud of being Quebecers. Clearly this Bill targets Jews, Sikhs and Muslims and as more Quebecers realize it, support for this odious legislation will collapse.”

- Marvin Rotrand, Councillor for Snowdon district of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (Montreal)

“We must speak out against this legislation together. We stood united against the former PQ government’s Charter of Values in 2014 and I am comforted to see we will do so again. What the government is asking us to do goes against all of the values we teach our children.”

- Angela Mancini, Chair of the English Montreal School Board

Quick facts

 

Une coalition formée de maires, de conseillers municipaux, de commissaires d’école et de représentants de différents organismes provinciaux et fédéraux a annoncé aujourd’hui son intention de s’opposer au projet de loi 21, la Loi sur la laïcité de l’État déposée récemment par le gouvernement du Québec.

La coalition d’élus a fait savoir que le Rallye pour la liberté religieuse se tiendra le dimanche 14 avril 2019, de 11 h 30 à 13 h, devant le Centre municipal Bernard Lang au 5801, boulevard Cavendish à Côte Saint-Luc. La population est invitée à participer pour manifester son opposition au projet de loi 21.

Citations

« Oui, il est essentiel de garantir la neutralité de l’État afin d’assurer l’égalité entre tous, mais cet inquiétant projet de loi fera exactement le contraire. Il indiquera à certains Québécois qu’ils ne sont pas aussi égaux que d’autres. Quel horrible message !  Ce projet de loi est injuste, il est indigne du Québec que j’aime. En fait, il est illégal selon les chartes québécoise et canadienne des droits et libertés. Ensemble, nous utiliserons tous les moyens légitimes à notre disposition pour nous y opposer. »

- David Birnbaum, membre de l’Assemblée nationale pour D’Arcy-McGee et Porte-parole de l’opposition officielle en matière d’affaires autochtones

« Nous avons l’intention de travailler ensemble avec les divers paliers de gouvernement pour nous opposer au projet de loi 21. La loi proposée est discriminatoire envers un certain nombre de personnes que nous représentons et elle a pour effet de traiter ceux qui portent une croix, une kippa, un hijab ou un turban comme des citoyens de deuxième classe. »

- Anthony Housefather, député de Mont-Royal à la Chambre des Communes

« Nous avons l’intention de nous faire entendre et de défendre une valeur qui nous tient à cœur : faire en sorte que tous les Québécois puissent exceller dans les professions de leur choix, peu importe leurs croyances religieuses. »

- Mitchell Brownstein, maire de la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc

« Le projet de loi  21 viole à la fois la charte québécoise et la charte canadienne des droits et libertés, ainsi que la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies. Nous avons l’obligation morale de combattre cette loi par tous les moyens dont nous disposons. Elle est discriminatoire envers les personnes ayant des croyances religieuses et elle limite leurs possibilités d’emploi. »

- Dr William Steinberg, maire de la Ville de Hampstead

« Le projet de loi  21 institutionnalisera la discrimination pour certains emplois dans la fonction publique, faisant du Québec la seule juridiction en Amérique du Nord où des candidats parfaitement qualifiés, voire les meilleurs, seront exclus en raison de leurs convictions religieuses profondes. La fonction publique québécoise manque déjà de diversité et le message de ce projet de loi est que les minorités ne sont pas les bienvenues. Cela va à l’encontre de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne du Québec et de ce que la plupart des Québécois estiment être une société accueillante où les gens peuvent être fiers de leur descendance et de leur patrimoine tout en étant fiers d’être Québécois. Il est clair que ce projet de loi cible les juifs, les sikhs et les musulmans et à mesure que les Québécois en prendront conscience, l’appui à cette loi odieuse s’effondrera. »

- Marvin Rotrand, conseiller du district Snowdon de Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (Montréal)

« Nous devons nous prononcer contre ce projet de loi ensemble. Nous nous sommes unis contre la Charte des valeurs de l’ancien gouvernement du PQ en 2014 et je suis rassurée de voir que nous le referons. Ce que le gouvernement nous demande de faire va à l’encontre de toutes les valeurs que nous enseignons à nos enfants. »

- Angela Mancini, présidente de la Commission scolaire English-Montréal

Faits en bref


Let's Chat Facebook page transforms into West End Politics

Almost two years ago, before the 2017 Côte Saint-Luc municipal elections got into  full gear, a new Facebook page called Let’s Chat was created by local activist and businesswoman Marissa Sidel. It attracted a lot of attention, with residents airing their gripes and candidates chiming in. Some others  pages  like   Côte Saint-Luc Families and CSL Unsensored also materialized.

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Marissa Sidel

Upon the election of the new council, Our Public Affairs and Communications Director Darryl Levine launched CSL Ideas. We already had a general city Facebook page with general updates and information.

After the election Let’s Chat  CSL expanded to become Let’s Chat CSL, Hampstead Montreal West 2.0. Then last week the page was taken down by Facebook. Initially Marissa tried  to revive it as Let’s Chat 3.0. It seems the  page got caught up in a spam folder algorithm and the name needed to be changed.

Marissa has now introduced West End Politics, aiming  for a broader audience and mandate. “This group is meant for discussion surrounding local issues in the West End,” she notes. “The West End constitutes CSL, NDG, Hampstead, Montreal West and TMR. All issues are welcome to be discussed. The purpose of this group is to be a citizen led conversation about anything that affects the West End. The group is for the people and by the people."

Working  alongside Marissa is her brother and business partner Noah, a former journalist, communications professional, political candidate and most recently an active voice for the Edinburgh Elementary School community in Montreal West. What’s refreshing about this page is the fact it will not just focus on municipal issues in CSL, Hampstead and Montreal West, but we will hear about the provincial and federal level and yes the school boards.

"There’s a lot we can do as a group of people. I’m a little tired of the  'we have no lights on Cavendish and Kildare' posts."

I have been active on Facebook for years, with personal and political pages. In addition, I am an administrator or moderator for the English Montreal School Board, the CSL Trap Neuter Return program, CSL Central Bark, Montreal Food Scene and Carré Union. 

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Anthony Housefather

Besides  members of our city council, Liberal Member of Parliament for Mount Royal Anthony Housefather and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum are frequent posters to these local pages.

Housefather is thriving in his role as our representative in Ottawa and this week he posted a video of his impressive  back and forth with the Bloc , who have proposed a bill that would give English-speaking Quebecers in the federal civil service fewer rights to work in their language than any other civil servant in Canada. “In this video my vision of Canada comes out loudly and clearly in both official languages,” Anthony stated on his Facebook page. You can see it here is you have access to Facebook.

With a federal election set for October, West End politics will no doubt be occupied with that topic.

 

 

 


D'Arcy McGee Medals to be handed out June 19

David Birnbaum has introduced a variety of excellent and out of the box ideas since becoming our Liberal Member of the National Assembly for D'Arcy McGee  just over four years ago. He is a lock to be re-elected in October.

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Birnbaum

The D'Arcy McGee Medals honour outstanding achievements in community involvement and the previous three ceremonies have been excellent affairs. David has worked with his predecessors, Lawrence Bergman, Robert Libman and Herbert Marx to select the winners and they have been right on the money each time.

On Tuesday June 19 (7 pm)  the 2018 winners will be unveiled at a ceremony at Ashkelon Gardens behind Côte Saint-Luc City Hall

(5801 boul. Cavendish Blvd.). This will be followed by a cocktail, with musical entertainment provided by the École secondaire St-Luc Jazz Ensemble. In case of rain, the ceremony will take place in the Council Chamber of City Hall.

David wishes to invite members of the community to attend. I am anxious to hear who the recipients are.  


Up to $1 million in provincial funding announced for the Samuel Moskovitch Arena

David Birnbaum, MNA for D’Arcy-McGee and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education and to the Minister responsible for Higher Education, and Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein today announced up to $1 million in funding from the provincial government for the upgrade of the Samuel Moskovitch Arena. The funds are designated for major modifications to the arena’s refrigeration system.

‘’This major investment by our government in a treasured and important Côte Saint-Luc facility is excellent news,” Mr. Birnbaum noted. “The numerous benefits associated with regular exercise, physical activity and leisure are obvious, and I’m pleased that our citizens will be assured of a first-class upgraded infrastructure that fully responds to their needs. This grant clearly demonstrates the importance our government places on healthy and safe physical activity.”

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Mayor Brownstein and David Birnbaum.

Mayor Brownstein noted that he is pleased with this further example of effective collaboration between the provincial and municipal sectors. “This upgrade is important to our community, to our families who use the arena for a host of sports and recreation activities. We’re proud of our extensive parks and recreation programs, and pleased to have a valuable partnership with our provincial government in strengthening that offer.”

“Thanks to this grant, Quebec’s regions are benefitting from quality arenas and curling clubs. By prolonging the lifespan of our sporting infrastructures, we allow the population to access these modern and safe facilities to practice sports,” said Education, Recreation and Sports Minister Sébastien Proulx.

This project is among the 27 across Quebec that received funding, for a total investment of $17 million.


MNA Birnbaum to chair Liberal caucus of Montreal

Bravo to our D'Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum who received a well deserved promotion  from Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard.

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Already the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and the Minister Responsible for Advanced Education,  Sebastien Proulx, Birnbaum has been named chair of the Liberal Caucus of Montreal.

This caucus includes all the Liberal members serving the ridings of the island of Montreal. Birnbaum succeeds the member for Jeanne-Mance-Viger, Filomena Rotiroti, who was appointed chair of the government caucus during the last cabinet shuffle.

"I am honored by the confidence my colleagues have placed in this important position, particularly in the lead-up to the upcoming elections," said Birnbaum. "Montreal is the engine of Quebec's development and its successes are victories for all Quebecers. I look forward to our group playing an active and visible role in promoting solutions to the key issues of concern to Montrealers. "

Birnbaum has acknowledged the constant and effective leadership of outgoing President Rotiroti over the past eight years. He indicated that he wanted to follow her example by working in partnership with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the City of Montreal, Martin Coiteux, the Prime Minister and all government partners.

"Our Montreal caucus can and must be a vital force in supporting positive policies and initiatives for the Island of Montreal ," said Minister Coiteux."I am confident that Mr. Birnbaum will be a positive catalyst in his role as chair of our caucus."

The caucus is looking forward to meeting the new Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante in the coming weeks.

In my opinion Birnbaum should have gotten the new Ministry of Anglo Affairs portfolio, which went to Kathleen Weil. 

 

 


Premier Couillard charms his audience at packed Côte Saint-Luc address

It is pretty rare that we see the Premier of Quebec come to speak in the City of Côte Saint-Luc. But this finally did occur on May 12 as Philippe Couillard addressed a standing room only crowd at our Aquatic and Community Centre on Parkhaven Avenue.


Credit is due to our incredible Men`s Club and of course the Member of the National Assembly, David Birnbaum, who made this happen. As event emcee and District 2 resident Sidney Margles pointed out that when Couillard was just the new  Quebec Liberal Party leader he  was slated to address this same group at the urging of Birnbaum`s predecessor, Lawrence Bergman. Something came up at the last minute and his appearance had to be cancelled. The Men’s Club has 560 members and counting.

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The Premier shakes hands as he enters the room.

This time everything worked out just fine. The Men`s Club began distributing reserved tickets a few weeks ago. When I arrived, there was a strong police presence around the building. Couillard did get to the ACC a little late and like a born campaigner he entered the room by shaking as many hands as possible.


One thing I must say about our Premier, who by profession was a former professor and neurosurgeon. He speaks both languages so beautifully. While many of us are upset with the significant budget cuts we incurred early in the Liberal mandate and the gutting of the health system, Couillard has this audience eating out of his hands from the get go. He began with some humour, alluding to the massive flooding in different parts of Quebec and the fact he decided to visit an aquatic center. He drew applause immediately when he announced “I will do this speech in English so we can all follow.” He also introduced Greg Kelley, son of Native Affairs Minister Geoff Kelley, as his new point person for Quebec's English-speaking community. “Anglophone liaison officer,” is the exact title. I met Kelley after the talk. He’s 31 and presently bunking with his parents in Beaconsfield. He formerly worked in the office of government House Leader Jean-Marc Fournier.


Couillard drew cheers again when he previewed his upcoming trade mission to Israel. “This will be my third trip there. It is the first time a Quebec Premier has gone.” More than 100 Quebec business persons and leaders will accompany him. “Why are we doing this?” Couillard asked rhetorically. “Israel is a start-up nation and an example to follow.”

Couillard mentioned the fact that both Air Canada and Air Transat have direct flights from Montreal to Tel Aviv. He also laughed that when he is in Israel, so will controversial US President Donald Trump.


“Since elected our government is doing exactly like we said we’d do; putting our financial house in order.”

The Premier gave a ringing endorsement for federalism. “Some people are telling me that I cannot be a Quebecer and Canadian. We will stand tall for a strong Quebec within Canada.”


Couillard expressed pride about his government’s job creation program. He also pointed to the investments made at the Jewish General Hospital. “This is a hospital that serves all communities,” he said. “My (late) father was treated there in oncology. So was Mr. Parizeau”


Couillard asked, “How do we build our economy in such an unstable world?” He referred to the three pillars: advance manufacturing, exports and entrepreneurship. “You need a strong educational system to build a proper economy,” he said.


Couillard spoke very excitingly about the planned 67-kilometre, $6 billion electric-train system which will connect downtown Montreal with the South Shore, Deux-Montagnes, the West Island and Trudeau airport. “This will be the equivalent of Expo ’67 in 2017,” he said.


Rather than a straight question and answer period, Margles said that members were asked to submit queries. From the 40 or so obtained, he chose to share a few with the Premier related to assisted living for seniors, the availability of family doctors, special needs children, the sale of marijuana and the Quebec Electoral Commission’s decision to merge the Outremont and Mont Royal ridings and change the boundaries of D’Arcy McGee.


Couillard said that he turns 60 in June so he is sensitive to issues related to seniors. “We are devoting significant dollars to seniors,” he acknowledged. “We have many more doctors than we did before – hundreds of new physicians and they are staying in Quebec.”


As for access to family physicians, Couillard said that right now there are 600,000 people more who have this option compared to 2014.


Turning to the sale of marijuana, which will become legal in Canada in July 2018. “An easy thing for me to say that at first glance I think there is merit to the idea,” said Couillard. “It is now controlled by the black market. There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. My biggest concern is public health. Smoking pot is probably not good for your lungs. Young people now are smoking a product that is much worse than the hippy days.”


Couillard also wished to clear up a myth that the province is going to make a lot of money on this. “If to price it too high you will send people back to the black market,” he remarked. “If you price it too low, you will increase consumption.”

As reported in The Suburban, Couillard explained that it was decided years ago to enable the independent, non-partisan Quebec Electoral Commission to decide on riding changes "to remove petty politics and partisanship from the issue. The only way for us to act on [riding changes considered to be unjust] is to change the criteria on which the commission bases itself to make decisions, and for this we need to change electoral law. I'm not ruling this out. We're going to have significant discussions. I know legal recourse has been tabled by the community here on this, and people should exercise their rights. That's something that should be done."


Mayor Brownstein concluded proceedings by thanking the Premier for coming to Côte Saint-Luc and particularly the ACC, which the provincial government contributed one-third of the cost.


Also on hand for Couillard’s speech were provincial cabinet ministers Kathlee Weil, Pierre Arcand and Francine Charbonneau, Mount Royal Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather, Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg, CSL councillors Sam Goldbloom, Ruth Kovac, Allan J. Levine, Dida Berku and myself and English Montreal School Board Commissioner Bernard Praw.

 


Municipal leaders band together to fight Quebec Electoral Representation Commission's senseless decision

As a city councillor in Côte Saint-Luc, I always appreciate opportunities to work together with other elected officials in neighbouring municipalities. Such was the case on March 21 when the borough of Côte des Neiges-NDG spearheaded an energizing public meeting at their Community Centre to protest the senseless decision arrived by the Quebec Electoral Representation Commission. This unelected body, which answers to absolutely nobody, inexplicably reversed its February 7, 2017 second report on the electoral map that proposed to maintain the Mont Royal, Outremont and D'Arcy McGee ridings without any change. When the next provincial election takes place in October 2018, Mont Royal and Outremont will be merged and D’Arcy McGee unnecessarily larger in size.

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Dida Berku and Ruth Kovac join other political leaders at the event.



Snowdon Councillor Marvin Rotrand and Suburban Newspaper editor Beryl Wajsman led the charge, first with a press conference and then with this impressive public meeting. Rotrand was joined at the head table by Borough Mayor Russell Copeman, Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg, TMR Councillor Erin Kennedy (representing Mayor Philippe Roy), CSL Councillor Ruth Kovac (representing Mayor Mitchell Brownstein) and Outremont Councillor Mindy Pollak (representing Mayor Marie Cinq Mars) English Montreal School Board Chairman Angela Mancini spoke, with Vice Chair Sylvia Lo Bianco, Commissioner Julien Feldman and Parent Commissioner Joanne Charron in attendance. Allan J. Levine, Dida Berku and I were the other CSL councillors on hand. I saw several of my constituents. If the Electoral Map had been adopted by Members of the National Assembly, I am certain that the passion and clear facts set out at this meeting would have resulted in an about face. Regrettably, there is nothing elected officials seem to be able to do. In fact, Mont Royal and Outremont are represented by cabinet ministers Pierre Arcand and Helene David. One of them will have to find a new place to run or retire.


I spoke to lawyer Peter Villani after the meeting and we both agreed that the Electoral Representation Commission still has an opportunity to correct this terrible wrong, admit it made a mistake and allow the status quo to prevail.

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It was standing room only at the event.


The room was packed, something which elated fireball Rotrand. “The large attendance we witnessed speaks to the public interest in opposing the loss of representation that our communities will suffer if the map decreed by the Electoral Representation Commission stands,” he said. “The meeting essentially came together in a very short time so I believe the turnout reflects a broad consensus in our part of the island.”


Now unless the Commission shows some class, this decision will have to be fought in court and initiated by citizens. Ideally, an injunction can be sought. Wajsman has taken the lead by collecting funds for an eventual contestation and former NDG-Lachine Liberal Member of Parliament Marlene Jennings stepped forward to set up a blue ribbon panel. Jennings was chosen by the Quebec English School Boards Association to do the same when the provincial government tried to push through Bill 86 – aimed at abolishing elected school commissioners. The government backed off and they did so because they answer to the public; the Electoral Representation Commission simply marches to the beat of its own drum.


Each of the boroughs and municipal councils in the area has or will soon adopt a motion in opposition to the electoral map. All feel that the Commission's map will mean a serious loss of representation for their citizens, lacks respect for natural communities and does not provide the effective representation that the electoral law indicates must be the basis of any final decision.


The mayors have shared a legal decision written last September by Jean-François Gaudreault-DesBiens, Dean of the University of Montreal Law School, which indicated that the Commission's proposal of 2015 to merge Mont Royal and Outremont and change D'Arcy McGee was highly questionable. As the Commission's final decision has reverted to the 2015 plan, the mayors feel the Commission’s proposal will not stand up to a legal challenge.


“We are strongly concerned about the diminished political weight of the island of Montreal,” said Copeman, a former Liberal MNA for NDG. “Our political weight has been reduced in every riding redistribution since 1992 which merged Westmount and Saint-Louis. We have lost four ridings over the decades.
"The merger of Mont-Royal and Outremont creates a very large riding which is expected to see robust demographic growth over the next five years which we anticipate will take it over the legal maximum number of voters allowed by the electoral law."


The Commission proposes to maintain 125 electoral ridings in the National Assembly with the average number of voters being 48,952 per riding. The electoral law allows ridings to be as much as 25 percent more or less than the average, a maximum of 61,190 or a minimum of 36,714 voters. This legal disparity of up to 24,476 voters or up to a 69 percent legal difference of voters per riding gives some voters in Quebec far more power than others.


While the mayors believe such a disparity in number of voters per riding should only be allowed in the rarest cases, there are many examples in the map of small ridings in the 37,000 to 40,000 range while many others approach the upper limits. Ridings like Duplessis, Dubuc, Rousseau, Megantic and Nicolet-Betancour all have far fewer voters than Montreal ridings such as Nelligan, Saint Laurent, Robert Baldwin or the new D’Arcy McGee or merged Mont Royal - Outremont which have between 55,000 and 59,000 voters each.


"Worse of all is that the Commission proposes six ridings that are exceptions to the law beyond the Iles de la Madeleine, the only exception the law actually permits,” says Mayor Brownstein. “These ridings including Abitibi-Est, Abitibi Ouest, Bonaventure, Gaspe, René Levesque and Ungava have between 26.8 and 44 percent fewer voters than the electoral map average and are below the legal minimum of voters. How do we explain to voters that D'Arcy McGee will now have boundaries that will no longer resemble its historic territory and have 56,245 voters while Gaspe, a riding that will have fewer voters in 2018 than at the 2014 elections, will have a Member of the National Assembly with only 30,048 electors?"


The mayors note that the new map cuts the large Filipino community that had real clout in Mont Royal in half with a large part of the community residing west of Côte des Neiges Road shifted to D'Arcy McGee. The large Orthodox Jewish community in the former Outremont riding is also diluted with those living east of Hutchinson moved into Mercier.
Councillor Kovac presented a strong statement from Mayor Brownstein at the public meeting. Natural communities should be kept together in order to give minority groups a stronger voice,” she said. And yet helping natural communities is not what has happened in the commission’s report. We have the worst of both worlds – they are removing representation from the island of Montreal, making ridings bigger, and breaking apart natural communities. Maybe we don’t need the exact same strict equality rules as they have in the United States. But can we at least apply the same fairness as they have Macedonia, or Yemen, or Belarus?


“When you increase the size of a riding like D’Arcy McGee, you weaken the voice of its natural communities. Allophones, Anglophones, Italian, Filipino, Jewish communities and others will no longer have as strong representation as they did when the riding of D’Arcy McGee was of a reasonable size. Further Mount Royal brought one more vote to the National Assembly for these communities and other minority communities. As the largest city in Quebec continues to grow its voice should not be weakened. It’s up to Quebecers to raises our voices, open their wallets, and help challenge in court decisions that hurt our community. I sincerely hope the Commission reverses its decision without the need for a legal challenge.

 


Birnbaum hands out his second annual D'Arcy McGee Citizenship Medals

I was pleased to attend the second annual presentation of the D’Arcy-McGee Citizenship Medals on June 20 at the Côte-Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre.

Three winners of this National Assembly medal were recognized for having touched and enriched the lives of riding residents through their community engagement. The selections were made by a blue-ribbon jury composed of three former D’Arcy-McGee MNAs: Justice Herbert Marx, Lawrence S. Bergman and Robert Libman.

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Lawrence Bergman addresses the audience.

Bergman provided opening remarks and showed how he remains the ultimate politician, almost a D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Emeritus.

At the event, an inaugural winner of the Victor Goldbloom “Vivre ensemble” essay contest was announced. The prize, a tribute to the former MNA, Minister and Official Languages Commissioner who passed away earlier this year, will now be bestowed annually on a Secondary IV or V student studying in the riding.

“I’m privileged to serve a riding population that consistently distinguishes itself by its community involvement, compassion and leadership,” said present-day D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum. “We are all beneficiaries of this dedication.”

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Left to right: Solloway, Feldman, Ivry and Birnbaum. 

The winners were Dr. Mark A. Wainberg, Ian M. Solloway and Liselotte Ivry of Côte Saint-Luc. They were honored before friends, family and guests for lifetime achievement in serving their fellow residents and beyond.

For the first time, an additional medal was presented to the winner of the Victor Goldbloom ‘‘Vivre Ensemble’’ Essay contest, open all Secondary IV and V students studying within the riding. Sheila Goldbloom was present for the presentation of the prize, in memory of the former provincial Minister and first MNA for D’Arcy-McGee, Victor Goldbloom. The essay winner, Ben Feldman, was selected by a jury composed of the current MNA, D'Arcy-McGee Liberal Association President Orna Hilberger, retired Professor and Association member Dorothy Zalcman-Howard and Michael Goldbloom, Victor’s son and Principal of Bishop’s University. Ben attends Hebrew Academy on Kellert Avenue.

A music ensemble from École secondaire Saint-Luc in the riding entertained the gathering with a wonderful medley of jazz tunes.

Among those present were the Minister responsible for Access to Information and the Reform of Democratic Institutions Rita Di Santis, federal MP for the Mount-Royal riding Anthony Housefather, Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg and members of our council.

“There is such a rich tradition of volunteer and community leadership in this riding,” noted Birnbaum. “I am pleased and proud to have instituted a National Assembly medals program that allows us to recognize those in the D’Arcy-McGee riding who have given so much back in service of their fellow residents. Today’s three winners exemplify that spirit of community and public service.”

Wainberg, of course, is a world leader in advancing treatment for, and awareness of, AIDS and HIV. His research and collaboration have helped save millions of lives around the world. He was on business in Kenya and unable to attend. His colleague at the Jewish General Hospital, Councillor Glenn J. Nashen, accepted the award on his behalf.

Solloway is presently into the fifth decade of a remarkable career as a family law attorney. He has pleaded cases here and internationally. In addition, he wrote more than 650 judgments during three terms on the Commission d’appel sur la langue d’enseignement. In fact he was the first English-speaking member of that body. Ian also chaired the English-speaking section of the Montreal Bar for an unprecedented eight terms. Over the years he has also been integrally involved in the community.

“Ever since I was a child growing up, community has been important to me,” Solloway said in his acceptance speech. “My uncle was former Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Sam Moskovitch. I always believed that giving back to a community is not just a duty, but a privilege.”

Ivry is a Holocaust survivor who has shared her message of hope and remembrance with hundreds of Quebec children of all origins and backgrounds. Her mother and brother perished at Auschwitz. She was finally liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1945 at the age of 19 and built a new life in Montreal. Professionally, she was an art teacher. In 2007 she published “I’m Their Voice,” a compilation of letters, poems and drawings from the students whose classes she visited over the years. “I believe we are all here on earth to accomplish a mission,” she said. “Mine is to speak on behalf of the six million Jews who cannot do so themselves.”

As for Feldman, 16, here is excerpt from his winning essay. “On July 6, 2013 a train carrying oil failed to brake properly and started rolling down the tracks towards a Quebec town. When this horrible explosion occurred, Federation CJA raised just over $100,000 for the people of Lac Mégantic along with Dr. Victor Goldbloom. The inhabitants of Lac-Mégantic did not understand why the Jewish community of Montreal was helping them and that is exactly where Vivre Ensemble comes into play. The few people who went there representing Montreal Jews explained that their morals and purpose was to help others, and as the people of Lac-Mégantic needed help, so that is why they came."


Encouraging news from Birnbaum on Cavendish extension

“An important step forward” is how David Birnbaum, MNA for D'Arcy-McGee, described a resolution adopted at last weekend’s Quebec Liberal Party’s General Council calling for the implementation of the long-awaited Cavendish extension. The final resolution, including an amendment brought forth by the D’Arcy-McGee Liberal Riding Association, was overwhelmingly adopted.

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David Birnbaum

The original resolution, proposed by the Nelligan Riding Association proposed that: “The government recommend the opening of Cavendish Boulevard between Saint-Laurent and Côte Saint-Luc to provide a north-south alternative to motorists from the West’’. Significantly, Nelligan is the riding of Municipal Affairs and Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux, who has a key role to play in orchestrating Quebec’s participation in the project.

The D’Arcy-McGee delegation to the weekend congress, led by President Orna Hilberger, strengthened the resolution by proposing the following amendment: “The government recommend and participate, with the other levels of government, in the financing and execution of the opening of Cavendish Boulevard between Saint-Laurent and Côte Saint-Luc to provide a north-south alternative to motorists from the West.’’

Cavendish is much more than a plan to reduce West-end traffic congestion, Birnbaum insisted. With the future developments of Namur-De-la-Savanne, including the Triangle, the Blue Bonnets site and potentially, the Quinze-40 shopping-centre project, Cavendish represents perhaps the central economic hub of activity for all of Montreal over the next 20 years. “I know that the residents of D’Arcy-McGee have been waiting a long time on this file. My colleagues in our government, and at every level of government, are working to make sure we see action, and soon.”

Birnbaum will host a summer fundraising cocktail on Monday, June 6 ( 6 pm to 8 pm) at Ecole Mosaique at 5621 McMurray Avenue in CSL.  Attendees are asked to make a $100 donation to the Quebec Liberal Party. For more information call Fran Gutman at 514-462-8671 or e-mail [email protected]. A prominent Minister from the government will speak.